NASA Launches Third Generation Communications Satellite | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-05.12.25

Airborne-NextGen-05.06.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.07.25

Airborne-AffordableFlyers-05.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-05.09.25

Sat, Jan 25, 2014

NASA Launches Third Generation Communications Satellite

Part Of Network Facilitating Communications With The ISS

NASA's Tracking and Data Relay Satellite L (TDRS-L), the 12th spacecraft in the agency's TDRS Project, is safely in orbit after launching at 2133 EST Thursday aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Ground controllers report the satellite -- part of a network providing high-data-rate communications to the International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, launch vehicles and a host of other spacecraft -- is in good health at the start of a three-month checkout by its manufacturer, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems of El Segundo, CA. NASA will conduct additional tests before putting TDRS-L into service.

"TDRS-L and the entire TDRS fleet provide a vital service to America's space program by supporting missions that range from Earth-observation to deep space discoveries," said NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "TDRS also will support the first test of NASA's new deep space spacecraft, the Orion crew module, in September. This test will see Orion travel farther into space than any human spacecraft has gone in more than 40 years."

The mission of the TDRS Project, established in 1973, is to provide follow-on and replacement spacecraft to support NASA's space communications network. This network provides high data-rate communications. The TDRS-L spacecraft is identical to the TDRS-K spacecraft launched in 2013.

"This launch ensures continuity of services for the many missions that rely on the system every day," said Jeffrey Gramling, TDRS project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD.

The TDRS fleet began operating during the space shuttle era with the launch of TDRS-1 in 1983. Of the 11 TDRS spacecraft placed in service to date, eight still are operational. Four of the eight have exceeded their design life.

Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems completed the TDRS-L integration and testing at its satellite factory in El Segundo in November and launch processing began after the spacecraft arrived in Florida Dec. 6.

TDRS-M, the next spacecraft in this series, is on track to be ready for launch in late 2015.

NASA's Space Communications and Navigation Program, part of the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) at the agency's Headquarters in Washington, is responsible for the space network. The TDRS Project Office at Goddard manages the TDRS development program. Launch management of the launch service for TDRS-L is the responsibility of HEOMD's Launch Services Program based at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  United Launch Alliance provided the Atlas V rocket launch service.

(Image courtesy ULA)

FMI: http://tdrs.gsfc.nasa.gov

Advertisement

More News

Aero-News: Quote of the Day (05.13.25)

“...no entity, whether a division of government or a private company or corporation, may use information broadcast or collected by automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast >[...]

IAG Orders 76 Boeing, Airbus Airliners

Growth And Fleet Replacements On The Way International Airlines Group, a joint holding company between British and Spanish air carriers, announced it has ordered up to 76 new Boein>[...]

FAA Shuts Down ATC Oversight Review Amid Scrutiny

Expert Analysts Scrutinized the FAA’s Oversight of ATC Organization In a move that appears somewhat mistimed (at best…tone-deaf at worst), the Federal Aviation Adminis>[...]

Montana’s ADS-B Privacy Bill Signed Into Law

Community Continues to Push Back Against ADS-B-Facilitated Landing Fees On May 8, a bill to limit frivolous use of ADS-B tracking data was signed into law by Montana Governor Greg >[...]

Newark Falls Victim to More Equipment Outages

Duffy Shares Plans to Scale Back Flights at Newark Liberty International After a ‘telecommunications issue’ with Philadelphia TRACON brought yet another string of delay>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC